Home gym

I'm totally not one to workout at home.  It's truly a last resort for me and isn't usually anywhere near as productive as a trip to the gym.

Here's a shot of my "home gym".  With the exception of the stability ball, these are all courtesy of my last gym, which closed.  On the last day they let their favorite members take a few things home.  (Not shown, but acquired, a jump rope and some resistance tubes.)  The weights range from 5-15lbs.

On Sunday I felt guilty about going to the gym on a beautiful day, so towards the end of the day I decided to try to do a quick upper body workout at home.  So I turned on some music, opened the sliding door, and went at it.

It was short lived and not very successful.  But, it was better than nothing.

I started with push ups (as always), then did bicep curls, overhead presses, triceps kickbacks, lateral raises (front and side), chest presses on the stability ball, concentration curls, and then another triceps exercise lying on the floor (just looked it up, it's called the Skull Crusher, here's a picture, aptly named especially when the weight is heavy).

 

Then I got bored and lost all motivation, plus my sister called (she's in Miami), which was a great distraction. 

So my home workout wasn't the best, but then again, it did cause me to sweat more than just sitting on the couch, which was the alternative.

Next up I am hoping to buy a DVD or two that might get me to actually work hard at home.  I'm thinking Jillian or Jackie.  Any suggestions?

 

Flexibility

The September issue of Fitness Magazine had a great article entitled Flex Time.  This article included what they called the Gumby Scale of Great Flexibility.

Source

It was a great article and included 7 ways to test your flexibility, and then exercises to improve flexibility in the needed areas.  It was easy to try and a bit eye opening.

I consider myself somewhat flexible, obviously more so in some areas than in others.  After taking this "test" I learned that I need to work on stretching my obliques.  Who knew?  I never even really thought of them as a body part to stretch, period.

I managed to find a link to the same information on fitness website, so here it is.  Give it a try, have fun with it.  Let me know how it goes.

Fit Me With Your Best Shot

Happy Thursday!

Class last night was a disaster.  For me, not for the class, they were great.  I got a KILLER stomach/side cramp at the beginning of class and it pretty much got worse as the class wore on.  This meant that I had to do some teaching off the bike (or sitting on the bike but not pedalling).  I'm a big fan of being right there with the class and motivating them by working hard, so this was hard for me.

My stomach is weird annoying picky unpredictable.  There are certain foods that I can not eat any time before spinning because the above mentioned cramps make an appearance if I do.  Yesterday I was experimenting with what to eat and when on a double spin day (AM and PM).  I had a smoothie at around 4p and clearly that was the wrong decision.  Oh well, lesson learned.

Tonight is boot camp, as a student, not teacher.  Yay!

I thought I'd mention a few tools that this guy likes to use in his classes.

Kettlebells - currently all the rage.  I'm not a big fan of the exercises involving swinging because I feel that they are a back injury waiting to happen.  But some of the moves using them as just a handled weight are great.  Using them does manage to work your muscles and get your heart rate up, always a good thing.

Stairs - We have to run up and down the stairs holding a medicine ball.  Single steps on the way down, double steps with the ball over our heads on the way up.  This is my idea of hell.  Somehow I can spin all-out for hours, yet can hardly manage the stairs for 5 minutes.

Source

Big Rope - He doesn't use this one as much as I'd like.  It too is kind of hellish, but such a great workout.  Typically the rope is looped around a pole (ceiling support).  You then grab both ends and waving your arms get the rope to dance.  It's hard to describe but it really gets the heart rate up and makes you feel the burn in your arms.  Love/hate it!

It's a hard class, and that's what I like.  During class I'm hating it, yet kind of liking it at the same time.  At the end, I'm loving it.

I'm all about out of the box exercises and exercise equipment.  What unique tools have you used or seen?

Hump Day

Happy Wednesday!  After a quick trip down to FL, I'm back at home.  Wow, it's hot down there.  Somehow the same temperature down there and up here can feel so different.

Hope you all had nice weekends and a good start to your week.

Stuff here is ok.  There's been some drama but I'm trying to move forward from it.  Plus I just found out that a job I've been interviewing for for a while isn't going to pan out.  So while that sucks, the hiring manager actually called me to explain, and that impressed me.  So I'm just sticking to my "stay positive" mantra and hoping that one day things start following suit.

I need to come up with a healthy dessert for a dinner tomorrow.  I'm thinking something that involves fruit, so I've got to put the thinking cap on and try to come up with something.  Any suggestions?

On the Fit side...

Fitness machine I need to work back in to my routine:

The assisted chin up/dip machine
This used to be part of my repertoir.  Why that changed, I'm not really sure.  But last Friday after teaching the 6a class I was looking to do something different, so I decided to give it a go.  My goal is to one day be able to do a pull up, so this is a good start.
Wow was I sore.  Honestly, I think I was sore until yesterday and I used the machine on Friday.  Love it!
Looking forward to using it again and gradually watching the weight get smaller and smaller.
If you don't already, give it a try.  But if you're unfamiliar with it, ask a trainer for a quick demo.

Missing again

 sorry to once again be MIA for a few days.  Was out of town for a funeral. :(

Back today and ready for a bit of a detox.  I made chocolate chip cookies to bring (from scratch) so I have of course eaten my share (and more) of cookies over the past three days.

I've also been having some WICKED heartburn.  It sucks.  I'm actually on meds for reflux so heartburn isn't usually an issue.  Unfortunately, that has not been the case the past few days.  Hopefully now that I'm home I can get back in to my routine and kick the burn to the curb.

Did a heavy leg workout on Monday and am still sore today.  Yikes.

I did step jumps (for lack of a better name).  I stacked a step with four risers on each side.  Standing with one leg on the step and one on the ground I jumped side to side, so I alternated legs on the step, squatting down with the leg on the floor.  Wow, that sounds confusing.

Here's a video that kind of explains what I'm talking about.   I tried to embed a video but it doesn't seem to be working.  But here's a link, if you're curious.  The version I did is more like the ones she does at the end, going deeper in to the squat.  Another a$$ kicking move. :)

Let me know if you try it.

Lateral Platform Drills for Step Exercise Training -- powered by eHow.com

Bodies...

Hello again!

I just wanted to post about how every person's body is different; shape, size, density, composition.

Where did this come from you ask.  SHAPE magazine.

Like many health/fitness magazines, SHAPE tracks people in their weight loss/exercise journeys.  SHAPE was tracking one particular woman, who's recent stats I found intriguing.

These people share their weight, height, age, body fat percentage, and VO2 max.

The most recent woman's stats are as follows:
Height: 5'7
Weight: 134
Body Fat: 25.5%

The reason why this caught my attention is because I'm SHORTER than her and considerably HEAVIER than her, yet my body fat is lower.  Does this make any sense?

The reason it does make sense is because we are all different and no two bodies are exactly alike.  This example explains why healthy/fitness professionals are starting to shy away from the Body Mass Index (BMI) method of determining a healthy weight.

Embrace your body and the fact that there are plenty of people out there who want to embrace it too!  :)

Jessica's A$$ Kicking Workout (literally)

Happy Monday!  Hope you all had wonderful weekends.  Mine was good, laid back.  Spent some time with my parents as they're leaving for vacation on Wednesday (to China!) and so I won't see them for a while.

Still getting by with the wrist brace.  It's annoying and I actually have had it off for the past few hours and think my wrist might feel better.  Odd. 

Since I'm still figuring things out on the workout front I decided last Thursday to dedicate my workout to legs.  No issues there, right?

After putzing around the gym and talking to friends for (gasp!) 30 minutes, I finally got started.  I don't have the exact breakdown of what I did but I'll give you an outline.  Let me just say that I was still considerably sore on Sunday.  Yes, SUNDAY.

Squats with body bar
Lunges with body bar
step up with overhead press
Squats on bosu ball
Side lunges
Plie squats
Calf raises
Lunges on bosu ball
Alternating lunges
One legged squats (not the best exercise to do last)

I moved quickly from one exercise to the next, then finished up with sets on the adductor/abductor and the glutes kick-back machine.

Next time I'll pay more attention to what I did and will gladly share it here.

Look out Beyonce and JLo is all I have to say!  :)

Maintenance

Maintenance is a very important word in the eating well/exercising world, and while it always means the same thing, it can be used in various contexts, which brings me to todays post.


I can't remember if I read it in a magazine or on another blog, but there was talk about how you need to choose a workout/healthy eating regime that you will be able to maintain for the long run.


For example, if you choose to limit your calories to 1200/day, the moment you increase your calories (or stop maintaining), you may gain weight.


Similarly, if you do a ton of working out, the moment you dial it back, you're going to lose some results.


So when planning a routine/lifestyle, you should think about it for the long run, not the short run.  You want to make changes that you can keep up with, even when life gets in the way.


I have someone I know who is in amazing shape.  She's lost a bunch of weight, significantly revamped her eating habits, and works out numerous times in one day.  She looks amazing and seems to be very happy.  Personally, I think it's a bit much and can't help but wonder how long she'll be able to maintain such an extreme routine.  What happens when life/work gets in the way and she needs to cut it down to one workout a day?  My guess is that she'll experience changes she isn't going to like.


Which brings me back to MAINTENANCE.  Make sure that what you're doing is something you can sustain.  Have realistic goals and commit for the long run.


Thoughts?

My Schedule

I've been saying for a while that it's time for me to put the pedal to the medal and focus more on my gym time and training for the half marathon that i'd like to do in September.  Thus far I've been all talk, but I think I might be ready to change that. 

I figure writing out a tentative plan here, for all to read, might help me stay on track.  What makes it difficult is my spinning schedule, but I think I've figured it out.

My current Spin schedule:
Monday - 9:30a
Wednesday - 9:30a and 6:30p
Saturday - 10a

The goal is to not do any big runs on days where I spin, especially not Wednesday.

This is my tentative plan...

Monday - Spin in the AM, weights in the PM
Tuesday - Run (i've been doing 2 miles, but would like to bump that up) and then Boxing class
Wednesday - double spin
Thursday - Run (depending on how my legs feel after Wednesday) then bootcamp or a similar class, plus some leg work
Friday - Run or off day
Saturday - Spin and weights, possible short run in the evening, depending on the weather
Sunday, Run or off day

This seems logical to me.  My goal is to start to bump up my distance atleast one day a week.  I haven't yet figured out the details, but will post them as I sort through them.  I'm going to keep track in an Excel file and i'll post that in the next week or two.

Any training plans you'd recommend?

TRX Time

I noticed that I've been doing quite a lot of food related posts and wanted to try to get back to the "fit" element of Fit Talker.

The TRX is something i've been wanting to try for months now.  Right now it's offered predominantly as a SGT (small-group training) class, but my schedule and my budget didn't want to cooperate so I haven't been able to give it a try.

If you're not familiar with the TRX it's suspension training that leverages your body weight.  From what I've heard, it's a workout like none other.

Check out this video to get an idea.



A friend of mine just bought her own and told me she'd walk me through it.  I have to say, I'm really excited!

I've been wanting to mix up my routine a bit and I think this might be just what I'm looking for. 

Do you TRX?

Death of my HRM

It finally happened.  After a few years of use, the battery on my heart rate monitor (HRM) chest strap has died.  Sad, but fix-able.

That said, I've had a great run of about 2-3 years with this product.  No complaints here.  I have a Timex HRM, a very basic model, with a chest-strap and wrist watch.  No calorie burn, predominantly heart rate and time.  It has fit the bill for me and I've had zero complaints.  I bought it at a Time Zone outlet store and spent maybe $40 (maybe).

I've been toying with purchasing a new HRM because I'm VERY curious about calories burned during a spin class.  I had really wanted it for my six hour Spin Odyssey ride, but alas ran out of time and never made the purchase.  I did a bunch of research and learned some interesting things.  Most notable is the fact that it seems that Polar monitors require you to send the strap back for a new battery (or at least purchase it from them).  I don't like that.  If I have a problem, I want to be able to fix it myself, not rely on a third party.

Do you have a Polar monitor and if so, is this true?

So the other limiting factor is that I'm cheap.  Simply put.  I don't want to drop $100 on a new HRM when my current one is just fine.  Do you have a brand/model you'd recommend?

Do you shake?

And by "shake", I mean Protein Shake.      

Do you drink them?  Have you ever?

I was decidedly undecided about them, their purpose, validity and necessity seemed vague to me.  Some people claim they're amazing and others say that unless you are working out VERY intensely, they're not necessary.

I guess I now fall in the middle of the road.  I had been thinking of incorporating them in to my diet as I probably don't always get the protein I need and depending on the day, can spend hours at the gym.

A friend recommended the brand Myofusion and gave me a few samples.  I have to say, they're not half bad.  The taste is decent and the calorie content is relatively low.  That was one of my biggest shocks when I started looking in to Protein powders, the high calorie content.  Especially given that many of them taste like crap and need to be mixed with milk and other additives which only up the calorie count further.  For this one, I just add water and find that it's almost enjoyable to consume.  Who knew?

As for whether or not this will enhance my performance or recovery, I can't yet say.  But I am going to give them a try and will keep you posted.

Let's Take the Stairs!

Looking for a new cardio machine or just want to mix up your existing routine?

I'd recommend this one.

The literal, stair master.

This guy has been around for ages.  I remember it at a gym I belonged to about 9 years ago.  Don't think I ever used it, but I do remember seeing it there.

Fast forward about 8 years and I had my first run in.

This machine kicks serious ass! (pardon the language)

You can't cheat yourself on this one because if you do, you'll likely fall off, creating quite a scene at the gym.  You also need to be focused on what you're doing because if you step too far in your toes get squished.  I speak from experience.

I can do about 20 minutes.  Within the first five i'm sweating and out of breath and doubtful about whether or not I can finish my 20.  But I do.  My heart rate is way up, my breathing is labored and boy am I sweating.  This to me my friends, is the mark of a tough workout.

While looking for an image to use I came across a few blogs who talked about this equipment.  Some called it the stairway to hell, others the escalator to hell.  You get the idea.

But aside from the negative "press" it's a great workout and I encourage you to give it a try.  Obviously start slow and then build up.  I usually start around level 7 (out of 20) and then raise it as I go, or not.

Let me know your thoughts on this one.

Obsessed with Exercise?

I just read a great article in Fitness magazine.  It was about, as you may have guessed, people who are obsessed with exercise, specifically cardio.

I will admit, I've referred to myself as obsessed with the gym, but the comment was really made in jest as I don't see the gym or working out getting in the way of my life.

The article talked about people who get addicted to the endorphins as well as the results.  It said how frequently these people were athletes when they were younger and were always pushed to do more/go faster/last longer.  However this isn't always the case.

This made me think of the Biggest Loser.  I feel like past contestants on this show fall in to one of two categories:  those who are now "obsessed" with exercise and those who completely fell off the wagon.  Maybe that's a bit black and white but for this post it makes a point.  Once you start working out and seeing the (amazing) results, how could you not want to continue this.  Ok, as I'm writing I'm realizing that perhaps this isn't necessarily true, but you get the idea.

The article asked a few key questions in order to determine if YOU are obsessed.

1. Do you feel a constant obligation to work out?
2. Do you feel guilty when you can't exercise?
3. Compromise your safety to work out (for example running along at night because "you have to")?
4. Exercise even when you're sick or fatigued?
5. Do you find yourself constantly nursing an injury?
6. Experience irregular or absent periods?
7. Need more exercise to get the same benefits as before?
8. Put exercise before family, friends or work?
9. Hear family and friends expressing concerns about your exercising habits?

So how do you stack up?  Me?  I think I'm probably a YES to questions 1 and 2, but that's pretty much where it ends.  I will admit that in the past I have sacrificed elements of my social life to work out, but I'm working on managing that balance.

I think that as the list goes on, the questions get a bit more serious and are more indicative of a possible problem.  Do you agree?

Oh yeah, one crazy story from the article....a woman ran a marathon distance (26.2miles) then went and took a kickboxing class.  (CRAZY!)  She actually fainted after class, and experienced a heart arrhythmia.  Scary stuff!

Abs of Steel

I couldn't resist using Abs of Steel as the title of this post.  Do you remember that series of videos?  Or rather tapes, as that's what they were called at the time.

This post is really just about a couple of abs exercises that I try to work in to my abs routine.

Doing the same abdominal exercises time and time again is BORING!

And the winner is....PLANKS!

I used to take a few bootcamp classes and while I thought I was in decent shape I could never hold the plank for as long as the instructor wanted.  Obviously this was something I needed to work on.

I highly recommend working on the plank as well as the side plank.  For this post I'm going to focus on the standard plank.

What I like about the standard plank is that my increased strength is measurable.  Time yourself and work towards increasing that time every week. (this is the same aspect that I like about push-ups)
Form is key when doing planks so make sure that your abs are up and in, your belly button is being pulled towards your spine and your back is not arching.

Here are some basic instructions, courtesy of http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/.

Your Position

Start by lying face down on the ground or use an exercise mat. Place your elbows and forearms underneath your chest.
Prop yourself up to form a bridge using your toes and forearms
Maintain a flat back and do not allow your hips to sag towards the ground.

Target Muscles
The Core - Abdominals, Hips, Back

Step By Step Instructions
Hold this position *focusing on tightening your abs* until you can no longer maintain a flat bridge. For beginners, start with 10 seconds
Return to start position

Remember to not let your hips and back sag. This exercise will only be effective if you work to maintain a flat line from your shoulders to your feet. You might want to start in front of a mirror to learn the technique.

Best Things to do for Your Body - Part 6

And the list continues...
Here are some things you SHOULD do

Shots!! (haha)

• Get a flu shot
• Get the HPV Vaccine
• Get all the other vaccine's that are out there and check with your doc to make sure you're current on your shots

Swallow!

• A multivatimin (choose one that contains atleast 100% of Vitamins A, C, and E and folic acid)
• Vitamin D - studies show that 1000IU daily may cut your risk of breast and ovarian cancers in half
• Fish oil - keeps your skin and hair healthy and reduces the risk of heart disease (1gram/day)

How to add years to your life...

• Stay on top of your health screenings
• Take your meds
• Do a home safety check - make sure you have working smoke and CO detectors and a fire extinguisher
• Work out your brain - doing brain stimulating activities can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's
• Adopt a furry friend - pets can lower blood pressure and heart rate, and increase overall happiness

Do this, not that

• Eat wet snacks, not dry ones
• Toss salads with romaine, not iceberg
• Sip a skim latte, not black coffee - calcium!
• Drink coffee, tea, and red wine between meals, not during them - these all contain tannings which prevent your body from absorbing iron from food
• Use regular, not antibacterial soap - it kills just as many germs and some scientists say that using antibacterial soaps may mess with the affectiveness of some antibiotics

And last...but DEFINITELY not least

• Stop smoking
• Aim to exercise 30 minutes every day
• Stay hydrated
• Eat produce at every meal
• Sleep!
• Wash your hands

Source: Women's Health Magazine http://www.womenshealthmag.com/files/best-tips/pdf/76TipsForBody.pdf

I Love My Sneakers

I've been dedicating about 95% of my cardio to Spinning lately, mainly in preparation for Spin Odyssey, but figured I'd talk about another form of cardio, running.

To me, running has always been the sign of a fit person.  Not necessarily true, it was something I wanted to do, but felt I couldn't.

In hindsight I see now that I had no clue of how to breathe and also pushed myself too hard too fast, thus burning out quickly.  Another legitimate issue that I had was shin and foot pain.

This pain brought me to numerous podiatrists and each suggested orthotics.  I believe to date I've had three pairs and boy, they are not cheap.  Doctors also told me I needed to find the right shoe, ideally a motion control style.  For years I believed that Saucony was the brand for me.  I wore numerous versions of the Saucony Hurricane.  And while no longer constant, the shin pain did still rear it's ugly head at times.

A little over a year ago I went to yet another podiatrist.  My feet were aching and my shins weren't getting any better.  Yet again, another pair of orthotics.  This pair clocking in at a reasonable $500!  Ha!  He also suggested I once again try new sneakers.

Having read a few sneaker reviews in various fitness publications I went in to my local athletic shop armed with my new orthotics and an open mind.  I honestly tried on every running shoe in the store.  Since my new orthotics were full length, I had to go up 1-1.5 sizes.

I had heard great reviews from people about Mizuno, so I was curious.  The final selection came down to Asics and the Mizuno.  I went with Mizuno.

I didn't think a shoe could change my life like this one did.  For the most part these shoes (plus my orthotics) have allowed me to say goodbye to shin pain.  I do still get the occasional pain, but it's remedied by some extra stretching and never hurts after the run or the next day.

Just yesterday I had a conversation with someone at the gym and she was complaining that she can no longer run due to intense shin pain.  I told her to see a podiatrist and be willing to reevaluate her sneaker choice.

Have you had a similar experience?  Do you believe in orthotics?  Are you a five finger fan?

Working Out Odds and Ends

Apparently I read a lot of fitness magazines this weekend because this morning in my 6am class I was spouting random information to the class.

Since I found these points interesting enough to mention them I figured i'd post them here.

Tidbit 1
Studies have shown that exercisers listening to loud music work harder.  While this is great, it's a slippery slope as music too loud can cause hearing loss.  So as I told them this morning, we may end up with really fit people who can't hear down the line.

Tidbit 2
Wiping off your sweat makes your body think you are working harder than you are.  While that may be a valid point, tell that to any spinner and they'll likely roll their eyes.

Tidbit 3
When working out and feeling fatigued, focusing on an area of the body other than the fatigued part tricks your brain into thinking you aren't working quite as hard.  For example, in a heavy cycling climb, focus on your upper body form, or focus on pulling your legs up (normally we focus on pushing down).  Worth a try the next time you're struggling.

Best Gym Tool Ever!

The foam roller!

I had seen these at the gym but for years never knew what exactly they were used for.

When my last gym shut down we were allowed to take some of the extra equipment, these were the FIRST to go, which clued me in to their value.

These are the ideal tool for stretching out after a hard workout.  The pressure exerted by the roller gives all the benefits of traditional streching plus helping to break down soft tissue adhesions and scar tissue.

This article gives a detailed explanation of how and why it works as well as photographs of different stretches that can be done with the roller.

A couple months ago I suffered what felt to me like a serious achilles injury.  Thankfully it wasn't torn, but it was very painful.  I was told to roll out my calves frequently, going from just below the knee to just above the achilles.  Crossing one leg over the other I was able to put additional pressure on my muscles. I won't lie, it hurt, but in a good way.

Like any stretching, results aren't immediate, but over time it really helped.  Whenever I feel my achilles acting up it's typically because i've neglected the stretches.